


No Man Left Behind

by SpellCasterLight



Category: Naruto
Genre: F/M, Grief/Mourning, Mild Mention of Bodily Injury, Swearing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-10
Updated: 2021-02-10
Packaged: 2021-03-16 10:15:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,115
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29330676
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SpellCasterLight/pseuds/SpellCasterLight
Summary: No way; not on her watch; Team Gai never leaves a man behind. [Mild Shikamaru x Tenten] [Very Mild Inoichi x Tenten]
Relationships: Nara Shikamaru/Tenten, Yamanaka Inoichi/Tenten
Kudos: 1





	No Man Left Behind

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto in any way shape or form. This story is purely for entertainment not profit.
> 
> Author's Notes: This was a random thought I had earlier; what if, not Choza, but Inoichi was the one to survive the war?...And then how do I bring Tenten and Shikamaru into the mix xD
> 
> Pairing Warning: It also goes without saying but if [Shikamaru x Tenten] or [Inoichi x Tenten] isn't your thing turn back now. But honestly; it's so so mild!
> 
> Warnings: Light Swearing. Mild Mention of Bodily Injury. Mentions of Grieving.

She saw him just sitting there on his own looking miserable, I mean, why wouldn't he be? His two best friends had just died in the war a few days ago and he, himself, had lost an eye as well as gained a lot of scars down the right-hand side of his face. She wasn't sure of the specifics, but she had heard it was something to do with a helmet and a building collapsing and then him being trapped under the rubble for too long to think about.

And what was his only daughter doing when her dad was sitting alone? She was off having a screaming match with Sakura over who gets to flirt with Sasuke now that he was back in the village. What a _bitch_. What an _absolute_ bitch.

Tenten didn't think she had ever felt so much disgust towards someone as she did towards Ino at that moment.

If her parents were alive, and in that much pain, the last thing she would be doing was yelling at her best friend over who got to hit on the village traitor. Ino didn't know how good she had it.

Herself, Lee, Gai and Hinata had lost Neji, she gulped back the bile at the thought of her former teammate, and people had been _pouring_ over them to make sure they were alright; why wasn't anyone doing the same for him?

No way; not on her watch; Team Gai never leaves a man behind. She wanted to go over and talk to him, but she didn't even know his name.

Tenten scanned the hall for someone to help when she spotted the perfect person.

"I'll see you guys later," the weapons user quickly muttered to Hinata and Kurenai before walking away.

She ducked and weaved her way to her destination.

Shikamaru Nara; stood leaning against the far wall, on his own, also looking so incredibly lost.

Tenten felt a new wave of anger flood her veins; someone _else_ Ino should be looking after; and come to think of it she hadn't seen Choji all night either.

"Shikamaru!" Tenten greeted the boy with a smile.

He lifted his head from the wall and turned to face her and she felt her smile threaten to leave her face for a second at the glassy unfocused expression his eyes held.

"Hey quick question, what's Ino's dad's name?"

He seemed to come back to the present with the strangeness of her question.

"What? Ino's dad?" His head tilted slightly. " _Why_?"

"Because he's sitting there looking like he's about to _off_ himself and I want to go talk to him."

At that a slightly panicked look filled Shikamaru's eyes and he started to scan the room wildly. Tenten grabbed his arm and pointed directly to table the Yamanaka was sitting at; Shikamaru's vision following her outstretched arm.

" _Dammit_ ," Shikamaru hissed before scanning the room again. "Where's Ino?"

Tenten outright frowned. "Off somewhere _fawning_ over Sasuke," at the girls reply Shikamaru let out a heavy sigh. "So, what's his name?" Tenten asked again.

"Inoichi," the shadow wielder supplied, before downing the rest of the glass he was holding. "I'll go with you."

Yes, someone he actually knew, that would make it less strange for her to go talk to him. "Good yes come on."

The two brunettes made there way across the room and she let Shikamaru speak up first when they reached the Yamanaka.

"Inoichi."

The blonde man looked up with the same unfocused look Shikamaru held earlier. "Oh Shikamaru," his gaze turned to her. "I'm sorry I don't know your name."

Now that she could see his face up close the scars didn't look that bad, she had definitely seen worse, they were already starting to heal. His eye however seemed to be sealed shut, almost like something had been burnt into the side of his face. Once again, a flash of anger sparked in her; _where_ the _hell_ was _Ino_?

"I'm Tenten!" She tried to greet cheerfully; but his strained attempt at a smile back almost pained her.

"Do-do you mind if we sit?" She asked painfully awkward after standing in silence for too long to be normal.

"Oh-" he seemed to take a second to try and snap himself out the haze that clearly consumed him. "-yes of course, my apologies."

Now that she was actually here, she didn't know what to say and Shikamaru wasn't exactly a talker. Maybe she should have found Lee or even Gai and brought them with her too. Or maybe she should have dragged over Hinata and Kurenai that she was talking with earlier; they always gave off that 'sympathetic ear' vibe that she had never possessed.

The conversation was; _stiff_. She was trying to avoid conversations about the war or Ino, because the girl _still_ hadn't made an appearance, or anything remotely triggering but because of this she was only a small step up, conversation wise, from saying "nice weather we've been having."

Even worse; being around Inoichi had just, almost, _enhanced_ the fact that Shikamaru had just lost his _father_ and, it was almost like their thoughts were feeding off each other because they were both, slowly, sliding into the pit of doom and gloom of the realisation of their futures without Shikaku and Tenten thought this might have been her _dumbest_ idea yet, she was always terrible at cheering people up. She wondered if she still had time to go get Kurenai and Hinata.

A song she knew came on and she had an absolutely crazy thought and she shook her head to get rid of it.

The next moment Lee and Gai where shouting excitedly as they almost mowed down people to get to the dancefloor, Gai actually skidding to a stop in his wheelchair he was going so fast; Gai caught her gaze and gave her a thumbs up.

If that wasn't a sign from the youthful gods above, she didn't know what was!

She stood and spun on the spot once before holding out one hand to each of them; making them both looked taken aback.

She couldn't stop the grin on her face. "Dance with me!"

Shikamaru gave her an expression that he would rather eat a kunai and Inoichi just blinked at her, probably questioning her sanity.

"Oh no! You two _don't_ get out of this!"

She grabbed their hands and outright pulled them out of their seats and started dragging them to the dancefloor.

They must have looked a sight. None of them coordinated enough off the battlefield to make their dancing look anything less than they were being mildly electrocuted and, also, given the fact they were probably the three most unlikely people to be dancing together to begin with; but Tenten couldn't find it in her to give a damn. For the first time that night both men with her smiled and that was a most pleasant victory.

It happened when Tenten had made the motion to dance around the two men and Shikamaru had caught her hand to, most likely, try to stop her bumping into someone, but only succeeded in making her trip over her own feet with such force that one of her buns practically popped off her head.

Someone like Naruto or Kiba would have laughed out loud at the now half in up-do that made it look like she had a yoyo hanging from her head but the two men with her merely smiled and smirked lightly instead.

Still dancing, she took out both her buns and pulled her hair into a ponytail instead to match her companion's styles. She caught Inoichi's gaze and she gave her ponytail a flick in his direction; at her teasing smile he flicked his own back at her with far more grace; it was only at her fake undignified look did she see him throw his head back and laugh.

She turned to see Shikamaru giving them both an amused look and when she reached up and pulled on his, so much smaller, ponytail he grabbed her hand and she saw him chuckle openly.

Tenten grinned; who else could say they got _Shikamaru Nara_ on the _dancefloor_ with only minor complaining and made him _laugh_ at the same time?

They must have been dancing for hours because they next thing she new was that the lights were turned on, the music was turned off and her feet stared to throb.

The three made their way outside with the rest of the party goers.

"I think it's time for this old man to go home," Tenten would have been worried at his choice of words if he wasn't smiling lightly. "Goodnight you two."

"Goodnight Inoichi!"

"Yea see you."

They watched him head down the street before Tenten felt her feet throb again.

"I think it's time to go home myself, my feet are not happy with me from all that dancing!"

"I'll walk you," Shikamaru offered putting his hands in his pockets and starting down the street the opposite way Inoichi went.

The walk to her place was pleasant, with the not-too-warm not-too-cold weather even at the late hour. He walked her the whole way home, even up the stairs of the apartment block to her front door, even though she insisted he didn't have to.

"You're a good person Tenten."

The sudden statement after she unlocked her door and turned back to wish him goodnight caught her off guard before she grinned disbelievingly and rolled her eyes.

"No, I don't think so, nothing like that!" She shook her head to disagree before turning it fully to take in the view the end of her open corridor offered of the clear night sky. "I just don't' like people being sad, that's all."

She jumped lightly when she felt lips graze her cheek.

When she turned back Shikamaru had his eyes downcast and his cheeks were slightly darker than normal.

"What a drag; it's saying things like _that_ that _make_ you a good person."

She leaned in herself then to run her smiling lips over his cheekbone; he turned his head back around lazily and they breathed in each other's breaths for a few long moments.

"You're a good person too Shikamaru, I hope you know that."

She smiled lightly before backing up and putting her hand on the door handle.

"Goodnight Shikamaru; get home safe."

"Goodnight Tenten."

The easy comfortable smile he gave her just before she closed the door made her heart skip.

* * *

The next day she was at the training grounds for some light target practice, nothing to strenuous, everyone was still on recovery orders after all, when a familiar voice spoke up behind her.

"I was told I would find you here."

She spun holding her kunai and grinned at the newcomer. "Inoichi!"

The Yamanaka smiled at her and it was so much more natural looking that the one he tried to give her at the table when she introduced herself that her own grin grew in size.

"What can I do you for?" She put on a fake challenging look. "You here for another ponytail battle?"

He laughed lightly at that.

"Actually, I'm here to give you these."

He took out a beautiful bouquet of pink flowers with white centres from behind his back that made Tenten's eyes widen.

"For me?" She breathed as she tossed aside her kunai to take the offered flowers in a careful two-handed grasp.

"They're Hydrangeas," he explained as she let her head down slightly to sniff them. "Hydrangeas mean 'thank you for understanding'."

That made her head lift up even as begun to shake it. "I didn't do-"

"Yes, you did," he cut her off with a thankful look and it warmer her chest to see such a caring expression directed at her from a man that looked so _broken_ yesterday. "And I am _truly_ thankful."

She had to lower her face as she felt an embarrassed smile crack though when she opened her mouth to reply she felt his hand lightly rest under her chin and tip her head up slightly before placing a kiss to her forehead.

He didn't even make skin contact, what with her headband being in the way but the warmth from the kiss spread through her skin as if it had. When he pulled back his dazzling blue eye was shining, and she had to remind herself to breath.

"Well then-" she couldn't stop her blush if she tried. "-you're _very_ welcome."

She held the bouquet to her nose and sniffed in the beautiful fragrance again with a grin.

"I look forward too _many_ ponytail battles with you in the future!"


End file.
